The AIDS Plays Project is re-staging and re-publishing the theatrical works of writers whose lives were cut short by HIV/AIDS-related illnesses.
We are releasing their plays from the archive and returning them to the stage in one-off performances starring award-winning actors, writers and drag artists. Striving for cultural recovery and repair, we seek to mend the connection between these trailblazing playwrights and a younger generation of queer artists and audiences in the UK.
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Christmas on Mars
by Harry Kondoleon
1st December, Rich Mix
For World AIDS Day, The AIDS Plays Project is celebrating the life of the American playwright Harry Kondoleon, who passed away in 1994. Recently republished by Polari Press, this queer classic is directed by Alastair Curtis, with design by Max Allen and Elliott Adcock and music by Helen Noir. The cast for this one-off performance includes Rakie Ayola, Dominic Holmes, Mary Malone and Stuart Thompson.
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What is The AIDS Plays Project?
Until now there’s not been a project of cultural recovery and revival in contemporary theatre. Alastair Curtis, our founder and director, discusses the project’s aims.
Video: Elijah Horne
July 2024 - The AIDS Plays Project has partnered with Polari Press to return Harry Kondoleon’s ‘Christmas on Mars’ to print for the first time in 30 years. This special edition includes a conversation with critic Don Shewey and an essay by playwright Wendy Wasserstein, as well as photos of our 2023 production. It is a moving tribute to one of America’s most enchanting playwrights.
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2025 Season
Reasons for Staying
by Colm Ó Clúbhán
27th February - 1st MarchRarely seen since its 1986 premiere, Ó Clúbhán’s play reckons with the sexual freedom and cultural dislocation faced by a group of Irish emigrants gathered in the backroom of a London pub one night.
Get In Touch
alastair@theaidsplaysproject.comThe AIDS Plays Project was founded by Alastair Curtis. Our project has worked with: Izzy Parriss, Max Allen, Elliott Adcock, Helen Noir, Paul Hilton, Rilwan Abiola Owokoniran, Jeanie Crystal, Luke Hornsby, Sue Gives A Fuck, Lauren John Joseph, Melissa Saint, Alistair Hall, Florence Dobson, Orlando/Holly James Johnston, Sharon Small, Mary Malone, Dominic Holmes, Nathan Armarkwei-Laryea, Syrus Lowe, Adam Silver, Ms Sharon Le Grand, Florence Keith-Roach, Luca Kamleh Chapman, Ben Allen, Lewis Brown, and Sorcha Stott-Strzala.
It was commissioned by London Performance Studios.
Creative production by KIND. Design by Tom Joyes.